Berea, KY: As an international student seeking to continue my higher education in the U.S., searching for a college that would provide an excellent education, opportunities for personal development, and financial assistance wasn't easy. However, one college particularly caught my attention: Berea College, consistently ranked as the South's finest regional liberal arts college. It's located in the small town of Berea, with a population of 10,000, ­approximately 40 miles south of the ­moderately sized city of Lexington.

Founded in 1855 as the first interracial and coeducational college in the South, Berea charges no tuition and admits only academically promising students who have limited economic resources. Its motto, “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth,” demonstrates that Berea serves all people regardless of race, color, gender, or class, and every admitted student is provided the equivalent of a four-year, full-tuition scholarship.

Students come from all over the United States and more than 60 countries, which brings together students from different ethnicities, races, and nationalities and helps them learn from each other's ­perspectives.

The college offers rigorous undergraduate academic programs leading to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 28 fields. In addition, Berea has a full-participation work-study program; students are required to work at least 10 hours per week on campus as part of the scholarship. The college offers 16 intercollegiate sports for men and women, plus a full array of intramural athletics, including basketball, flag football, and Ultimate Frisbee.

With over 50 clubs and organizations, notable speakers, scholars, and performers visit the campus every year. Past guests have included Alex Haley, Morris Dees, Benjamin Hooks, and the Dalai Lama. Study-abroad programs in Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa are very popular with the American students, and host family programs are available for international students.

I've already applied to Berea and would be honored to be part of a community that offers so many opportunities. For more ­information, visit www.berea.edu.